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Topic Review (Newest First)

08-24-2010 06:52 PM

Charliedclayton

im gonna do some online research and get out what i want to do, ill post it for opinions on it.

08-24-2010 06:40 PM

ericnova72

SCAT cast 9000 series, accept no substitute. Eagle isn't even close on quality.

08-24-2010 06:40 PM

Duntov

I've used a lot of 1528 and 29 cranks since one of the best oval track builders in my area showed us his collection of cracked cranks.

They're cast of course but seem to hold up as well as anything short of a 4340 crank, and I've bought a lot of them on Ebay for a hundred or less. Then to had them cut down to 2.45 mains and 2" journals offset ground to 3.780 or better for a cost of $300ish here, less than 200 for a standard 383 turn. We do have a couple of real crank magicians in our area though. I'm fortunate to live close to Charlotte but if there isn't really accommodating crank machinist who loves his work, where you live you might consider a complete balanced rotating assembly. A lot of people are using Scat and Eagle cast but I've had no experience with them.

Another advantage of the original 400 crank (1528/9) is that it was originally balanced with heavy pistons. So far I've never had to have Mallory with one. That saves a chunk of money. And all mine have been smooth even at 7000 which is about as far as I've turned a 383. Without really nice heads the 383 has produced most of what the heads can deliver at just over 6000. I'm thinking something on the order of a well worked set of 993s, or 906s< (somewhat better), as you said you were staying with iron heads. But that makes for good torque and HP#s.
Good luck with the build, I'm looking forward to hearing the results.

08-24-2010 04:50 PM

Charliedclayton

Me and dad just talked, its a full build. just giving it a one over and putting it back to how it was made from the factory would be something we would do with say a numbers matching engine out of an old corvette or something...thats still in the car. But for this Im just gonna see what I can get out of it. Any ideas on what kinda 3.75 crank I should get?

08-24-2010 03:50 PM

Duntov

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charliedclayton

But who knows, I will be cleaning the block and having a sit down with my father soon to figure out where I should go with it.

OK fine........Whatever you do though, in case you didn't read the fine print when you signed up, You're required by the rules to tell up about it.

08-24-2010 03:39 PM

Duntov

He's gonna build it cause it's fun//

Wow, everyone's going practical on us today huh? Don't forget guys we're mostly all here cause we like to "play motor". That's what my Mom called back in the day.
He's gonna build it cause it's fun////// plus he has to before he can move on the the next level of this game..

Know what occurred to me because of this thread? I've always hated the 345np but it came to me that I could stroke up .080" using 'um, and still be maybe .002" in the hole after decking only for squareness rather than quench..

Another thing Clatonius Hotrodicus; If one is forced to bore a 350 to 4.080" the 345np is about the only piston I can think of that comes in an .080". What would that be? 373ish? and cheap. Should make 400fps easily and 375 horse without turning it up at all.
Small journal rods .040" added reach makes a stroke of just .0025" short of a 3 9/16 crank without buying one. Spend a few bucks on balance, pistons are cheap and make most of the power without getting into the unsafe rpm range for cast.
I have a 0010 4bolt in the shop, in the way, that didn't clean up at .060".
Just thinking out loud.. That would save that motor and if .080 is too much then no big loss.. cheap to build. I wouldn't recommend 080" to anyone else but 060", doesn't bother me.

Got a 19x31 NASCAR radiator in the shop that needs to go too.
I'm going to do that just to see how it compares to it's cost, I bet it'll have the bang for the buck, but I'll have to keep it for myself because just in case the bore is too much.

Never did a 9/16s motor in my life.. I guess that's how they did it? I'm going to do that... thanks Charles..... Duntov

08-24-2010 03:15 PM

Charliedclayton

Thats a good point that I never thought of, most parts are still good with no wear on it at all. Im just looking for my first engine to really stand out in my mind. But I could go that way so I get used to putting things on and off, what goes where and stuff. But who knows, I will be cleaning the block and having a sit down with my father soon to figure out where I should go with it.

08-24-2010 02:40 PM

cobalt327

Just something to consider:

If the piston to bore wear is within reason, why not do an economical refreshing of this engine?

By that, I mean to replace the rings, bearings, timing set, cam and lifters (if what's in it is too worn or is a complete unknown, or not suited for whatever reason for reuse), gaskets, an oil pump and a valve job. That way, you have gotten the whole experience of what the dis- and re-assembly entails, and a decent 40K- 80K mile engine out of the deal, as well.

Machine shop work will be limited to cleaning the castings (if needed), honing the cylinders, the valve job and polishing the crank. You should be able to bring the whole thing in under $500.

08-24-2010 02:28 PM

Charliedclayton

God, I wrote everything out and my window close on me
Dun its a 4 bolt main block, numbers 14010207. The neads are 86 cast iron with numbers 140 796261 *intake 1.94 and exh 1.5 I read some where*
So you think Im gonna have to go .060 over? I know thats near if not if the max someone should go on a 350. And yes if I got the 3.75 crank then the numbers come out to 388 And Iv already given up the engine kit and gonna put this thing together one part at a time. Yes Turbo I could get a vortec in better shape and everything an come out speading less but I just dont feel like going that way with it. I have thought about doing a 5.3-6.0 vortec build...but thats WAY later on. This engine is my learning engine and Im willing to work with it till I have no choice but to junk it.
Anyway back to the heads, any ideas? I will be going with the 388 build on it and not sure where to go :/ Im gonna go with cast iron, every website and a few people Iv talked to in person say their more duriable and make about the same power for what Im looking for. Aluminum are lighter by around what, 40 pounds? And cool better from what Im told...but Im still wanting to go with cast iron.
My last truck was a 82 chevy c10 with a l82 vette 350, guy I got it from said he rebuilt it and made in the 300hp area. After some exhuast work and gears that I did it ran a 14.3 in the 1/4 mile, it used all cast iron parts and its a good thing. When I first got it the radiator was bad so I would over heat so bad at time it would start dieseling. My dad told me it was a good thing I had cast and not alum. on it or els the heads would be junk by that time due to warping...I know the heads are soft, in shop class back in high school my teacher showed me just how easy they could get damaged or warped.

*for videos of the truck go to youtube and type in charliedclayton, my videos should pop up, i got rid of it after it snap(my 3rd) transmission case and personal reasons)

08-24-2010 08:03 AM

turbolover

It doesn't appear you have anything special. If its a 4 bolt main you can go through the expense of having it machined and getting new pistons and reusing your crank and rods. If its not a 4 bolt main I would just junk it and get a low mile Vortec engine. I know that expression has been beat to death but its really the cheapest option to get some decent power. Many of them have little to no sign of bore wear and need nothing more than some head work, flat top pistons (hc345np work well enough and are cheap), and a cam (these block have hyd roller provisions). Plus you can get a 4 bolt main one fairly easily.

I would reuse the rods you have now though as many people are having problems with the PM rods.

08-24-2010 06:26 AM

Duntov

350 is all right

Well, because someone determined it had a 1.540" pin height, I think boring to 4.060" is unavoidable. Standard pin height is 1.560" and some of the better selections are 1.563 ish.

The top ring height of a more desirable piston will pass the old ring ridge. Even if it is only a very slight one it will be undo-able.

A good set of heads will allow enough power out of a 350 to surprise you, or from here you could buy a complete rotating assembly and go 388 I think. Find out the head and block numbers. Going to the shop; looking forward to hearing the rest.

08-24-2010 02:39 AM

Charliedclayton

I was gonna go to town to buy one but after talking with my father he told me "theres one in the sheld" so after 2 hours of digging I found it. The engine has been bored .040 over and after eye balling the crank for 5 minutes I figured out the real #-393-2442 and its everyday 350 crank. Soooo after some math work I came up with a engine with 357 cubes rounded up from I forgot now....356.675 something like that. Not the 377 I thought but hey its something lol.
And yet again with some math, if I went and got the 3.75 stroke crank that would make 384.56 cubes...or a 385

But remembering someone saying the pistons has just plain 350 and not an over sized one, I put one on the crank(after getting the crank back into the block...sorry this is like 4am here so I may of just been seeing things, but with the piston in place and under rotation just a hint of light passes through on one side of the pistons. Now on the note of me thinking Im just seeing stuff/not knowing this is normal I found a 4 inch wide plastic top and put it up to the bore, didnt touch the sides. Going back to the piston I a screw driver and poked at the piston and could get it to shift, just a little side to side. Now like I said this is my first engine that Iv taken apart fully, I dont think it should do that? Its not banging off the cly walls but if light can get passed the piston and I can wiggle it around isnt something wrong? Again note even with the piston rings ON light is still showing through and it can still be moved side to side.

08-23-2010 06:34 PM

Duntov

xxxx2442?

I'm betting on it being a run of the mill 350 with that 2442 suffix. using the dial caliper measure from the bottom of the small end to the top of the big end and then measure the id of the big end and we'll more than likely discover that they are 5.7" rods, which will all but verify that's a 350. While you're at it with the dial caliper measure the rod journals and post everything you get. Get us all in on it.

Even if you keep it as a 350 it has to be bored, based on someone saying it had 1.540 ch quench killers. Machine shop pistons typically, which indicates it may have been bored once already.
guess it could be a short rod 383 but I'm not feel'in it. Ordered the dial caliper on Ebay huh?

I'll wait until the dial caliper comes in and quit guessing. What are the head casting numbers again?

08-23-2010 10:12 AM

cobalt327

OEM casting numbers are notoriously hard to make out, 3 or 6 can look like 8, 5 like 6, and vice versa, etc..

If you're positive of the crank casting numbers, then that's where I don't know- I do not show any Chevy cranks starting w/"8", although the number does somewhat resemble a generic-type GM part/casting number. The vast majority of Chevy crank c/n's are 7 digits long, and begin w/"3".

I'm not doubting what you thing you're seeing, AFA the stroke. But there are a couple things not adding up... I looked all the SBC 3.75" aftermarket cranks that Summit sells (Scat, Eagle, Lunati, Summit, Howards)- no matches there, either.

So, given that- plus the piston number showing up as a 350 cid pin height piston- leads me to believe that the crank is from another maker than the ones I checked on, a mistake was made measuring the stroke, or a slight chance that the rod journals are offset ground to give the stroke increase you measured.

08-23-2010 09:36 AM

Charliedclayton

ill know for sure when we get the dail cal by friday. if it is just a 350 then odds are it'll end up being a 383 anyway lol

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